The present invention relates to a surgical device.
Many surgical operations, such as gall bladder operations, are carried out with the aid of an endoscope. The surgeon firstly makes an incision, wherethrough the endoscope is placed into the body. Through another incision, the surgeon brings the surgical instrument into the body in order to carry out the operation. The surgeon can follow the progress of the operation on a screen which provides images from the endoscope. In this manner, vary accurate operations can be carried out.
By many of these types of operations, body tissue has to be removed. In order to remove such body tissue, it is necessary that this is first gripped and secured in place, before the tissue can be severed, whereafter the severed bodily tissue can be removed from the body.
To carry out this process, the surgeon uses a device for gripping and securing in place the body tissue and a second, separate device for severing the tissue. Operating these two instruments simultaneously whilst also operating the endoscope, requires a great deal of surgical skill.
Furthermore, with these sorts of operations, a large incision has to be made in order to accommodate the different surgical instruments at the same time.
An object of the present invention is to obviate one or more of these problems.
The present invention provides an instrument for carrying out one or more surgical operations comprising:
a distal part;
a middle part extending from the distal part;
a proximal part mounted on the middle part opposite to the distal part;
means for gripping body tissue and the like, which means are mounted near to the proximal part;
means near the proximal part of the device for severing body tissue and the like;
means near the distal part of the device for operating the gripping means and means near the distal part of the device for operating the severing means.
The present invention enables a surgeon to grip and sever body tissue without requiring a change of surgical instruments, whereby the problem of relocating the operation position is obviated.
Furthermore, endoscopic operations are facilitated since the surgeon now need only operate one device instead of the previously required two devices whereby only a relatively small incision is required which in turn leads to less trauma and fewer scars for the patient.
The operating means for the gripping and severing means respectively, preferably comprise support means for the gripping and severing means, and the severing means and/or the gripping means are preferably displaceable with respect to each other.
Accordingly the gripping and severing means are independently operable.
The gripping means and severing means preferably comprise the same two co-operating elements, whereby these elements are preferably moveable with respect to each other in a first direction in order to provide a scissor-like severing action, and whereby the elements are preferably moveable with respect to each other in a second direction, in order to grip like a forceps.
In this manner, the two elements can carry out the independent functions of gripping and severing of body tissue, whereby separate gripping and severing instruments are no longer necessary.
According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a method for carrying out a surgical operation utilizing this device.